I have e-mailed the site administrators requesting any assistance they can provide to help get the word out about this issue - we'll see if a direct response is any more effective than my pleadings on the threads...
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I have the same thing!!! Mine is also 2007 build date. I will take a picture tomorrow
I have the same thing as well. Looks exactly like his pictures. I've been watching it for only about 1500 miles since I first noticed it. Haven't seen any progression, and it doesn't resemble any of the "bulging" I've seen on this thread. Definitely something to keep track of though....
One other thing just to clarify. Our FJ Cruiser is my wifes daily driver and is 100% stock, we have a different trail rig. No modifications and zero work or wrenches under the hood. We have 6237 mile on it, it has had one oil change only. No other work or anything has been done to it. Only been lifting the hood to check fluid levels and look for bulges and rips.
The stamping/happened durring manufacturing process sounds possible and probable but, I see this dimple so clearly and easily now every time I open the hood just can't believe I missed it for 2 months.
Can't wait for the FC Summit run at Ouray CO in July, plan on being there, ought to be a blast getting to meet some of you. Hope this will all be behind us or at least in the process of being resolved by then.
It would be avantageous if you could post contact information for the NHTSA so that those that are affected by this dilemma can contact them directly. Is it possible that a "file" could be opened on this case and all occurrences could be entered into it so that action could be taken ASAP.
Did you contact the Toyota dealer directly or did you contact a regional office?
Have you heard anything in the last few days regarding your rig? Do they have it and are they going through it? Could you give us an update?
Right now my vehicle does not appear to have these problems, but with the percentage of occurrences I feel that it is only a matter of time. If we could take immediate and definitive action on this and repairs/modifications are complied with in a timely manner hopefully we all can avoid the situation that you have.
This whole thing has me so rattled I am almost unwilling to drive the vehicle lest the bulging, cracking, and ripping starts to manifest itself.
"Looks exactly like it" seems to be the start of a trend -- If this is caused by flex/compression I doubt the location and size would be that precise. Does anyone with tgingles' dimple see the second dimple I described earlier (under the spot weld location to the left of the first)? That could ease our minds that this was a defect in the stamping die and we could eliminate this potential "noise" from these threads. I would hope that Toyota is having all FJ's that come in for service inspected in these locations to get some real data. But that makes way too much sense...
All that said, if these dimples are the first warning sign, that would be a great boost for getting better numbers for Toyota -- even if it means I am "in the group". As soon as I get some confidence that this is a progressing issue on my FJ, I will file with the NHTSA. I don't see any of this as an issue affecting my plans to keep having fun with this rig for a long time -- still the best vehicle I've owned.
Page through the selections and talk to a representative regarding your "experience".
The individual that I spoke to said that it is imperative that as many people as possible call in and state their concerns or problems regarding this issue. Even if this issue is being addressed at the dealer level you should still call in to this central number. Information regarding this issue could possibly be lost at the local level. If enough information is given and there is a lot of respondents there could be a "service campaign" generated on this problem.
I referred the person I spoke with to this thread. She was flabbergasted to hear the amount of posts in the relative short amount of time this thread has been alive. She said that they were not authorized to look at these sites but could put it into the report and that someone at a higher level could.
Timely and quick action to this problem is necessary. Don't depend on other people's actions. Take a few minutes out of you day and make that call. It's not guaranteed to fix this problem but anything can help.
The Customer Experience Center number is: 800 331 4331
We should all work together on getting this fixed.
"Looks exactly like it" seems to be the start of a trend -- If this is caused by flex/compression I doubt the location and size would be that precise. Does anyone with tgingles' dimple see the second dimple I described earlier (under the spot weld location to the left of the first)? That could ease our minds that this was a defect in the stamping die and we could eliminate this potential "noise" from these threads. I would hope that Toyota is having all FJ's that come in for service inspected in these locations to get some real data. But that makes way too much sense...
All that said, if these dimples are the first warning sign, that would be a great boost for getting better numbers for Toyota -- even if it means I am "in the group". As soon as I get some confidence that this is a progressing issue on my FJ, I will file with the NHTSA. I don't see any of this as an issue affecting my plans to keep having fun with this rig for a long time -- still the best vehicle I've owned.
Nd-Nw i have the same dimples in the same place plus a hairline crack too. Am an 03/07 fully stock you can check the pictures in this thread a few pages back.
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Can't wait for the FC Summit run at Ouray CO in July, plan on being there, ought to be a blast getting to meet some of you. Hope this will all be behind us or at least in the process of being resolved by then.
If that's your other FJ at the bottom of your sig, I hope you bring it too!
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"I'd like to die in my sleep like my grandfather. Not screaming in terror like the passengers in his car."
toddunderscore -
Yes that is my other trail rig, a 1978 BJ40 with a 3B.
q80fj -
Went back and looked at your pitcures, your dimple looks just like mine and in the same place, only difference is you have a crack and I don't (yet). Sort of makes me not feel good. Probably the dimple is the same as the bulge just happen to go the other direction. Based on reviewing your pictures including your crack I think a crack is in my future. Should probably respond to the poll with a yes to bulge on the passenger side. Do any of you agree? Don't want to cause panic for no reason but based on the pictures of q80fj's rig I have the same dimples, just no crack yet.
/ WPOK492 
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